16,667 '09 GM LAMBDA CROSSOVERS RECALLED - ENCLAVE, TRAVERSE, ACADIA, OUTLOOK

Four General Motors crossovers are being recalled, NHTSA says, for failing to measure up to requirements for safety standard #209.... the one for seat belt assemblies, don't you know? The second or third row seat belt buckle could be missing a rivet.

Model year 2009 examples of the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook - basically identical vehicles under the skin and inside the seat belt buckles, apparently - will have any deficient seat belt buckle replaced free of charge under this Recall. That could be up to 16,667 CUVs, NHTSA says. The Lambda platform could even be the foundation for the next Cadillac Escalade and/or Chevrolet Suburban if General Motors money remains..... er, tight, and if fuel economy standards make the possibility of a 20+mpg giant SUV impossible.

Lambda crossovers were also involved in a GM Recall in August relating to overheating windshield washer fluid and another recall in August for detaching windshield wiper linkage. If these General Motors vehicles are going to be in the garage continuously free of charge to customers, GM is going to want to keep the issues minor.

THE DETROIT THREE OFFERS TOO MANY TRUCKS? BY THE NUMBERS

Wall Street insiders attempting to predict the demise of the Detroit Three (GM/Ford/Chrysler) blame most of the domestic auto manufacturing difficulties on the rise and fall of the SUV. They believe that General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler LLC (mostly under the management of Daimler-Benz) didn't have the foresight to build high quality cars when money was pouring in from easy-profit vehicles like the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Dodge Ram. On the surface, these insiders appear to be correct. 

Take American luxury cars, for instance. In the early part of this millenium, the only prominent vehicles at Cadillac and Lincoln were their jumbo SUVs, the Escalade and Navigator. Mainstream brands like Chevrolet and Ford were offering an abomination called the Malibu and an ancient design called the Taurus. The few takers snapped them up at rock bottom prices.

For a deeper look at the gravity of the situation in numerical terms, check this Numbers post from a few days ago with figures supplied by TIME. For perspective on the issue, read The Good Car Guy's question from yesterday. For facts about automaker offerings in the U.S. domestic market in 2009, keep reading. Oh, and by the way, to attempt to sway the argument in favour of cars instead of trucks, models like the F-150, F-250, and F-350 were lumped together. It didn't help. Also, TSV means anything that isn't a car: trucks, SUVs, and vans.

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TOTAL CARS @ GENERAL MOTORS: 21

TOTAL TSVs @ GENERAL MOTORS: 26

TOTAL CARS @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 10

TOTAL TSVs @ FORD MOTOR CO.: 14

TOTAL CARS @ CHRYSLER LLC: 8

TOTAL TSVs @ CHRYSLER LLC: 16

Buick cars/TSVs: 2 to 1

Cadillac cars/TSVs: 4 to 3

Chevrolet cars/TSVs: 6 to 9

GMC cars/TSVs: 0 to 8

Hummer cars/TSVs: 0 to 2

Pontiac cars/TSVs: 6 to 1

Saturn cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Ford cars/TSVs: 4 to 10

Lincoln cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Mercury cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Chrysler cars/TSVs: 3 to 2

Dodge cars/TSVs: 5 to 7

Jeep cars/TSVs: 0 to 7

GM HYBRID SUV PRICING

It appears that a rear-wheel drive Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid will cost $50,490 in the States and a GMC Yukon Hybrid with all-wheel drive will cost $53,755 with the 4WD Tahoe and 2WD Yukon in the middle. This GMC page lets you select your build options for a Yukon while a separate page lets learn about the hybrid. Here is the Chevrolet link. Build for yourself and see the price differences, equipment, and potential savings you would live with.

Interested in hearing what The Good Car Guy thought of the Tahoe Hybrid when he drove it at GM's own Milford Proving Grounds? It's available right here.

YOU NEED A CAR? WIN IT

You're a hybrid lover but acknowledge that the added expense in most cases won't be covered by your fuel savings. What to do, what to do? Wells Fargo is going to give somebody a Honda Civic Hybrid and an iPod so it might as well be you, so long as you're an American resident not living in Rhode Island, Florida, or New York. Follow the link.

It seems that a car isn't a grand enough prize in and of itself. Civic Hybrid + an iPod, GMC Acadia & a Garmin StreePilot navigation system. American Airlines must figure there's a fair number of 8-member families who can't afford flights, so AA's giving an Acadia (and directions) to somebody. It might as well be you. Follow the link, Americans.

Prefer a larger hybrid? Win a Toyota Highlander here. Enjoy your efficiency in more natural ways? A Mini Cooper S from Samsung would fit the bill.

Canadians outside of Quebec could win a Nissan Versa from Much Music. The Dairy Farmers of Canada are offering a free Toyota Yaris, and Dodge is going to give away a Ram.

A LIST OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN'S EIGHT CARS

Frankly, the old American dream of a wife, a few kids, two cars in the garage and a white picket fence doesn't belong to John McCain. Oh, he's got the wife; kids; and probably picket fence(s) but take a stroll by his driveway(s) and two cars there may not be.

Over the weekend, it was discovered that John and Cindy McCain, candidate for President of the United States and First Lady, combine to own thirteeen cars. Do the math. Inevitably you see at least three of the McCain's homes lacking the obligatory second car. 

(Click here for a post on all the candidate's cars)

Seriously, the part that has made the news has actually centred on the Senator's claims that, "I've bought American literally all my life and I'm proud." While the mainstream press doesn't like to share some of the specific models therefore making it difficult to know exactly where all the cars were built, the list below lets you in on some problems related to John McCain's claim.

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2004 Cadillac CTS: John's "daily driver"

2001 Honda 'sedan': one can assume it's a Marysville, Ohio-built Accord

2007 Ford F-Series: good for a ranch or three

2001 GMC 'SUV': GMC built a few in '01 - Yukon, Yukon XL, Jimmy

2005 Volkswagen New Beetle Cabriolet: Built by Mexicans in Mexico

2008 Jeep Wrangler: McCain would actually look like an everyday American if this was it

1960 Willys Jeep: Can you be any more American war hero than an owner of a '60 Willys and an '08 Wrangler?

2000 Lincoln: Guessing Town Car, considering the Senator's age, but it could be a Navigator, Continental, or LS

(3) NEV Gem electric: Like the aforementioned Town Car, every rich retiree needs a Gem

Lexus: Cindy's car is an unspecified Japanese luxury car with a license plate reading "MS BUD"

Toyota Prius: This car could actually be the vehicle of daughter Meghan or the Senator's or Cindy's. One struggles to keep track.

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Barack Obama recently traded in his Hemi V8-powered Chrysler 300C for a Ford Escape Hybrid.

857,735 VEHICLES FROM 13 DIFFERENT GENERAL MOTORS NAMEPLATES RECALLED FOR OVERHEATING WASHER FLUID

Pay close attention, because this is about to get really deep. The list of recent General Motors vehicles affected by this Recall is below. For some of them, this is the second recall currently affecting their model. For instance, the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Saturn Outlook were just sent to the principal's office for other windshield wiper problems.

This time 857,735 GM vehicles built sometime between 2006 and 2008 with heated windshield wiper systems will be recalled, but NHTSA isn't yet sure just when. "A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire." This could lead other electrical systems to malfunction. Dealers will be installing a wire harness with an in-line fuse to take care of the problem. More information is perhaps available at GM's recall page. Add up the vehicle sales from other countries and your total hits 944,000 GM vehicles.

The vehicles affected are as follows:

2008 Buick Enclave

2006-2008 Buick Lucerne

2006-2008 Cadillac DTS

2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, Escalde EXT, Escalade ESV

2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche

2007-2008 Chevrolet Silverado

2007-2008 Chevrolet Suburban

2007-2008 Chevrolet Tahoe

2007-2008 GMC Acadia

2007-2008 GMC Sierra

2007-2008 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL

2006-2008 Hummer H2

2007-2008 Saturn Outlook

LAMBDA CROSSOVERS RECALLED - Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia

88,809 General Motors crossover vehicles are being recalled because an excessive buildup of snow or ice could on the windshield could cause the windshield wiper linkage to detach "from the motor shaft and the wipers may become inoperative." However, this Recall is highly specific, so pay attention.

NHTSA only wants you to take notice of this Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia recall if your vehicle is currently or has been registered in one or more of the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia. That basically precludes those of you who live in winter-less states from involving yourself in this recall. 

I guess you better watch out if you go on a winter vacation up north. If you haven't learned your lesson, folks, never turn your car off without also turning off your wipers in the winter... especially if you know a storm is coming. The wipers will try and clear 10 inches of snow as soon as you turn the car (its heater, and defroster, and heated seats) on in the morning. No wiper has that kind of strength. Don't ask it to find such strength, and don't kill your wiper motor. For clarity's sake, let it be clear that The Good Car Guy's drive in the Buick Enclave did not require the testing of wipers.

STRANGE TIMING FOR TRUCK ADVERTISING IN MONTHLY MAGS

Depressing though the good-looking Mazda CX-7's test numbers from Motor Trend's September issue may be (0-60mph in 7.7 and 17 miles per gallon), especially in light of the Subaru Forester's impressive statistics (0-60 in 6.6 and 19.6 mpg), it's downright alarming the extent to which low mpg vehicles were advertised in the issue that's already on newsstands.

It's not a hard case to make: heavily market the products that you're struggling to sell. Make the buyers aware. On the other hand, expensive advertising directed toward an ever-shrinking market - especially when the products mentioned are already very well-known.... now that seems a little bit silly.

Surely different marketing executives would present differing views on the merits of extensive truck advertising. In a year when the long-time best-selling vehicle in America, Ford's F-150, has been out-sold by four cars over the last couple months, some of the numbers you'll see below are surprising.

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2 - pages of advertising GMC placed inside the cover for the Acadia, a 19mpg large crossover

2 - pages of advertising Mercedes-Benz placed for the 15mpg C63 AMG

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, a 20.5mpg SUV

12 - pages of advertising (including a centrefold) for the Chevrolet Silverado which is, at best, a 17.5mpg pick-up truck

1 - page of advertising for the Cadillac CTS, a 22mpg luxury sedan

2 - pages of advertising Dodge placed with business-reply mail for the Ram pickup

1 - page of advertising for the 19mpg Honda Pilot

1 - page of combined advertising for the 22mpg Nissan Maxima and the GT-R

1 - page of advertising for the Infiniti FX which is, at best, a 19mpg sporty crossover

1 - page of advertising for the Toyota Matrix, a small hatchback that can achieve a combined 29mpg

1 - page of advertising for the new Kia Borrego, a body-on-frame large SUV that's available with a V8 but can touch 19mpg with a V6

1 - page of advertising for the 26mpg Suzuki SX4 on the inside of the back cover

1 - page of advertising for the 25.5mpg Acura TSX on the back cover

18.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating of the first five vehicles you'll see advertised in Motor Trend's September issue

22.8 - average (best) combined MPG rating for the final seven vehicles you'll see advertisied in MT/09

TOP 5 CARS THE POLICE SHOULD BE DRIVING

We started with the mafia, moved to government leaders, and are now somewhere in between.Top 5 week continues with the polizia. The politi. The policia. Why, in North America at least, are Ford Crown Victoria's the default choice? Why is it special when a police force realizes that Dodge Chargers/Magnums make a much better vehicle?

Cops want space (especially in the front passenger area and the trunk), low-down torque, and maneuverability. The car needs to be safe. And it will be helpful, although not completely necessary, to have a front bumper capable of pushing lame-duck Dodge Neon's off the I-10 in Houston. So, what have we?


#5- FBI AGENTS WOULD LOVE GMC'S ACADIA: The FBI never wants to stand out too much in public. (Although lunching beside them in D.C. down the street from the Hoover Building saw plenty of badge flashes.) A Crown Vic may be bland enough, but it makes agents look like any other cop. Man, you ain't just a cop. You're an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Drive something with a bit of swagger. General Motors is once again on the upswing. They've got great new crossovers. The Acadia can be equipped with all-wheel drive, so it's already a step ahead of the Crown Victoria. You guys always look tougher in big numbers, and the Acadia can take three-rows worth of y'all. More horsepower (275) and only a slight loss of torque. Similar fuel economy. A zippy little 7 and a half seconds to 60mph. This looks like the new vehicle of the FBI. General Motors is apt to give you a fleet deal, especially on the GMC version of the trio. The Buick Enclave is too good-looking and, besides, rolling up to a NYPD-controlled hostage situations in a Saturn wouldn't be tough. At all.


#4- NEW RCMP COMMISSIONER NEEDS TO BE SEEN IN A HONDA RIDGELINE: He's a different kind of commissioner, so he needs a different kind of vehicle. How 'bout a truck that isn't a truck, but is certainly no Crown Victoria? William Elliott isn't a cop, he's a bureaucrat. So, drive a Canadian-built vehicle which can take you and your aides to the rough roads of northern Ontario but still cruise cross-country in comfort. Cargo capacity is limited, but then again, Elliott doesn't have a uniform. And hey, there is a trunk underneath the cargo bed. The Ridgeline has some getaway power (247 bhp), in case any detachments ever run you out of town. But this is just a small V6-engined truck, so nobody will accuse you of excess via corruption. Ridgeline's aren't cheap, but this is most assuredly not the Prime Minister's new Acura MDX.


#3- 'MANHATTAN SOUTH' NYPD PATROLMEN - SCION xB: Hold on a second, don't get fidgety. How do you park big American boats in the downtown core? Remember after 9/11, cop cars were especially disorganized as the officers arrived at the WTC Towers, creating problems for the next batch to get close. Were the cops to blame? Of course not. The massive Ford's, with their decades-old engineering, took up too much space. The new Scion xB is, granted, not quite as cool as the original. That's ok. Cop cars aren't all about 'cool', ya know. This is a serious matter, can't you tell? The Scion offers bucketloads of interior capacity, amazing fuel economy, and spectacular maneuverability. We couldn't suggest the new smart fortwo, after much deliberation, because there's no back seat. Sometimes cops, even in good ol' Manhattan, make arrests. And the felons are placed in the rear compartment. Put your bulletproof barrier in between the Scion's front and rear, and you've got yourself a cop car. With 158 horsepower and seven extra miles for every gallon in the city - compared with the old Ford - patrol personnel will still cruise to the scene of the crime in haste, but the hundreds of of them won't be contributing quite so heavily to the smog above us. Scion's are ripe for customizing. In fact, that is Toyota's intention. Imagine each new recruit heading to the Scion dealer to pick out their new lights and wheels - that's what GCBC calls 'making your work your own'.


#2- UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE STICKS WITH SUBURBANS: Who ever said this article was meant to change everything? Top 5 Cars Police Should Be Driving. It just so happens that the Secret Service has already made a good choice. Sure, Suburbans are large and lumbering. As far as people miles per gallon, the Secret Service makes Suburbans efficient. Economical even. General Motors has such a variety on offer: Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes; GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV. The engine and trim level of your choosing. Followed by the kind of healthy up-armoring the troops in Iraq could only wish for. From 320 horsepower up to 380 - and more in the Cadillac - the 'Burban can haul. Better yet, it's an oddly pleasurable vehicle to drive. Even a compact car can make itself drive big, and it is that fact which enlightens us to the Suburban's best quality: it shrinks. Not visually, and not on Chevrolet's spec chart. The Suburban drives like a much smaller vehicle. Many thousands of pounds, a few hundred horsepower, perhaps 8 individuals on board, and yet it feels more like a TrailBlazer than the TrailBlazer itself. Decent visibility, relatively sharp steering, plenty of go-power. The Suburban/Yukon/Escalade is where it's at. Restricted to specific needs though this last may be, the Suburban still ranks as the second best choice.


#1- WATCH FOR CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IN PONTIAC G8's: The G8, nee Holden Commodore, is the genuine Aussie Rules automobile. Rear-wheel drive with an optional V8 and a conservate but handsome design. It may give Pontiac it's groove back. And that groove disappeared long before I appeared. The G8 isn't here yet, I realize, but when it arrives, expect the Pontiac to run down most any criminal in most any vehicle. The Scion and Pontiac both offer manual transmissions, despite the level of disdain copper-tops would have toward such gearboxes. Even the V6 G8 will likely have 300 horsepower, expect the biggest bruiser to equip itself with over 400 bhp. There'll be tighter handling and sharper steering than normal General Motors sedans, although not matching the standard of the best Euro sports sedans. Holden is GM's Australian subsidiary and the developer of the defunct Pontiac GTO. What came to North America as a GTO was basically the run-out editions of the long-serving Commodore coupe. What we will see in the Pontiac G8 is Holden's new Commodore - which basically means new hardware, rather than recycled. Cops could apply 'Intelligence' to their name if and when they stick red and blue lights in the windshields and on the roofs of the newest Pontiac. This would cause us to fear the G8 even as we gather our excitement over GM's decision to harness its Aussie connections.

GENERAL MOTORS' LAMBDA CUV OPTIONS

This, my friends, is an unofficial declaration of General Motors' new slogan, in addition to admitting its Barack Obama-derivation: "Crossover Options You Can Believe In". GM certainly believes in Lambda.

Lambda isn't just the 11th letter in the Greek alphabet. GM has taken that letter and applied it to their midsize crossover platform. This platform/architecture/foundation has found its way under four vehicles. GM has options. Believe it.

To keep it brief, The Good Car Guy is going to reign in his wordiness to one sentence per vehicle. Add their manufacturer links and MSRPs from the American market. Although suitably differentiated, these four CUVs are identical under the skin. It's difficult to rank the quartet in terms of anything but personal preference. 

BUICK ENCLAVE: Stunningly beautiful but its heaviness (obviously similar to the other three) leads to a fuel guzzling nature which, when combined with its expense, makes the Enclave an expensive proposition for the latter part of this decade.  $33,995 - $38,190 - Buick.com/Enclave

CHEVROLET TRAVERSE: Its recently revealed price proves to be the value Lambda leader; already possessing the mass-market appeal that Chevrolet produces automatically in addition to more power than its mates. $28,990 - $32,995(GCBC est.) - Chevrolet.com/Traverse

GMC ACADIA: "Professional Grade" advertising seems silly when applied to a vehicle, however tough, that is so truly similar to a Buick and Saturn; though the GMC brand as a whole seems somewhat lacking in an anit-truck buying year. $30,470 - $39,015 - GMC.com/Acadia  

SATURN OUTLOOK: Ask why if you like, but GM is sticking with this import-fighter; leading you to also ask if the other three Lambdas are intended to battle only the Dodge Journey and Ford Edge. $29,360 - $33,370 - Saturn.com/Outlook

- Check out The Good Car Guy's drive of the Buick Enclave @ the Milford Proving Grounds or read about the GMC Acadia's position in the Top 5 Cars Police Should Be Driving and finally learn about GM's expectations for the Chevy Traverse -

DOMESTIC AUTOMAKERS MAY/08 RESULTS

It was a common belief at the beginning of May, when automakers released their sales date for April, that the first couple days of June would reveal bad news, as well. The commonality of any belief does not prove that belief to be true; however, the statistics manifest as proof that the common belief held true.

In a month where total vehicle sales fell over 10%, car sales climbed over 2%. Small cars were especially successful. Two cars that have not grabbed critical acclaim, Ford's Focus and the Dodge Caliber, jumped 52% and 7%, respectively compared with May of last year. 

It doesn't seem that long ago that America's love affair with truck-based SUVs and cheap gas led to a majority of vehicle sales being classified as trucks. In the 31 days of May, that former majority dropped to the low 40s%. Here are the Numbers for American automakers and their sub-brands in America in May... in agony.

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37.8 - posted percentage loss for Buick for May 2008 compared with the same period one year earlier

26 - posted percentage loss for Cadillac, May/08 against May/07

27.1 - posted percentage loss for Chevrolet, May/08 against May/07

28 - posted percentage loss for the whole Chrysler group, May/08 vs May/07

16.6 - posted percentage loss for Ford, May/08 against May/07

38.8 - posted percentage loss for GMC, an all truck and SUV brand for May of this year against May/07

61.7 - posted percentage loss for Hummer, an all heavy-duty SUV brand that GM is interested in selling, for the May/08 vs May/07 comparison

42 - percentage loss for luxury brand Lincoln for May of '08 against the same period last year

28 - percentage drop in sales faced by Mercury, Ford's pointless brand, for May/08 against May/07

25.9 - percentage drop in sales for Pontiac, a brand featuring some new models, for this May against last May

28 - percentage drop in sales for GM-owned Saab for May/08 against May/07

32.7 - percentage plummeting in product sales for Saturn, featuring its best model lineup ever, for May/08 vs May/07

24 - percentage drop in sales for Ford-owned Volvo for May/08 against May/07

18,455 - lead, in sales, that the Chevrolet brand had over the whole Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep group in May

15,603 - combined sales in May for FMC's luxury duo (Volvo and Lincoln), out-performing GM's Swedish-American dup (Saab and Cadillac) by 107

97.5 - Pontiac Vibe's percentage points lead it held over the Pontiac brand as a whole in May-vs-May sales

23.4 - average decline in sales for Ford's four main SUVs, the Escape; Edge; Explorer; and Expedition

44.3 - jump in sales this May vs last May, measured in percent, for the Chevrolet Aveo

CHEVROLET HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE TRAVERSE

Badge engineering, the forming of multiple automobiles from the same foundation while adjusting the fascias and switching the logo, is alive and well. Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Mercury Mariner? How 'bout the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5? 

Not surprisingly, the most prominent badges often steal the sales. General Motors' impressive Lambda platform has played host to a trio of successful crossover utes. At the high end, Buick's Enclave is a seller; plus it has earned favour right here at GoodCarBadCar. The Saturn Outlook is the garden-variety Lambda from the brand that promises something different. At present, General Motors' trucking badge, GMC, sits on the front of the Acadia, a vehicle that GoodCarBadCar named one of the Top 5 Cars the Police Should Be Driving.

The trio of Lambda CUVs will soon become a quartet. Typically, adding members to your band is a surefire bet for increasing tension and messing with the harmonies. Imagine what happens when the fourth and latest member is intended to be the lead singer and main spokesperson. Chevrolet wants its Traverse to eventually sell 150,000 units per year. That's about what the Enclave, Outlook, and Acadia sell. Combined. 

Is the Traverse able to attract the attention and hype to overwhelm its brethren in sales? More than likely, the Traverse will drive down the road with exactly the same mannerisms as the former trio. Features and content won't measure up to the Enclave, nor will the exterior appearance. However, the Chevrolet Traverse will be the most affordable CUV from the Lambda platform. Cheap is good.

GM DEALERSHIP MERGER ANECDOTE

What will become a more common story across the United States - in both rural and urban areas - can be seen at this link.  General Motors really, really wants its dealerships to have a broader brand base for buyers to choose from as GM attempts to individualize each of their subsidiaries.  GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, Saab all compete in one way or another.  Bringing brands under one roof with cars that are distinct would dispose of the competition and breed a strong team approach.  

In other words, "Oh, need more truck than the Enclave? We have a Yukon Denali right over here."  In addition to that theory comes clear cost savings and greater long-term viability. 

Thus, in Albertville, a place I've never heard of in Alabama, Howard Bentley Pontiac-GMC is now Howard Bentley Buick-Pontiac-GMC.  No; that's Bentley as in the owner's last name, not the British hyper-luxury brand.  

Wayne Bentley's dealership will typically have an extra 40 cars on the lot.  Having started out with Oldsmobile and Pontiac in 1988, GMC came online and the Oldsmobile sign disappeared with... well, Oldsmobile.  

SECOND DEEPER LOOK AT THE AMERICAN MARKET

Details are wonderful things. After all, the forest is made up of many trees. To see yesterday's look at the American automotive marketplace (circa 2007) click here. For today's look... umm, keep reading.

Although the large pickup market fell 7% last year, Chevrolet Silverado sales were down just 3.1%. That leaves the Silverado with 618,257 units sold; more than a quarter of all Chevy's.

Nissan is beginning to successfully ride the coat-tails of Toyota and Honda. The midsize Japanese duo should really be considered a trio now, with Altima sales up 22.1% in '07 to 284,762.

General Motors bosses were rewarded for making obvious (and correct) decisions with Saturn sales in 2007. Few would be surprised by the fact that sales were up 5.7%. The lineup is completely different than it was just a couple years ago. L-series now equals Aura. Ion was replaced with Astra. Vue is new. Outlook is Enclave-lite. Sky never used to be. Expect Saturn to improve again this year, or in case of economy troubles, to struggle less than other domestics.

Check out AmericanTrucks.com and their

large selection of Ford Truck Wheels

That note above about Silverado sales not falling as sharply as the sector it competes in? Ford's F150 tumbled 13.5% last year. Ouch. Officially, the F150 is still the best-selling vehicle in America with 690,589. Technically, the combined effort of what is basically the same truck (Silverado and GMC Sierra) forms 826,500. So, Ford has the single best-selling vehicle, but General Motors sells more light-duty pickups.

In 2007, Hummer sales were down 22%. Enough said. Well, actually, for more on that, click here for The Good Car Guy's test drive of an H2.

Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, could use some help from the G35's teammates. With the FX35 and FX45, M35 and M45, QX56, and new EX lux-cute-ute, the G's 54,015 units sold seems fine. But last year, the other non-Good 12-winning elements of Infiniti's lineup combined for just 73,023 vehicles sold. That needs to improve.